Chapter 199: Elixir Intermediary

From the ten-thousand-acre forest, enter the inner courtyard, then turn onto the right mountain path, walk another dozens of steps, and you arrive at the Immortal Residence Annex.

The location of this path is extremely open, with no obstructions around.

Thus, the scene of the Alchemy Sect's daughter dressing up early in the morning and heading to Ji You's courtyard—whether observed by disciples stationed at the Five Sacred Palaces or those preparing to attain enlightenment in the Purple Bamboo Meditation Grove—was clearly visible from above.

The knocking, the conversation, the entry into the courtyard—all actions, expressions, and demeanor were plainly visible.

They all knew Ji You's courtyard housed a woman, and it had been half a month already.

They also knew that Yuan Caimei truly had feelings for Ji You, having rushed straight to his courtyard the moment she arrived at the Heavenly Book Academy.

They all felt such a lively scene ought to have sparked some drama—perhaps a frantic escape, or a brawl, or shouting matches…

Some even thought they might see Ji You kneeling on the mountain path, begging Yuan Caimei's forgiveness, vowing to immediately send away that mortal woman to prove his determination to become a son-in-law of the Alchemy Sect.

But from last night until this morning, none of the anticipated events occurred—only the continuous rising of wisps of cooking smoke shattered every speculation, as if Yuan Caimei's arrival was perfectly timed…

Many among them were actually waiting for an opportunity, hoping to invite the Alchemy Sect siblings to a banquet to purchase the elixirs they needed.

After all, the Heavenly Dao Assembly was about to begin, and at this critical juncture, countless cultivators sought to solidify their realms or break into higher ones as swiftly as possible.

In past seasons, they could achieve this through prolonged seclusion, but under current circumstances, taking elixirs became the optimal choice.

Yet now, apart from Ji You, it seemed no one could meet the siblings.

"Under these circumstances, I really don't know whether I should go…"

"Isn't it harmless to at least ask?"

"But romantic affairs are too complicated, and romantic affairs involving three people are even more so—outsiders shouldn't meddle. I think we should send a letter to probe the situation first—what do you think, Lady Zhengxin?"

"Master Ban Yangshu's consideration is excellent. Shall we first send a letter to test the waters?"

The fact that the Alchemy Sect always prepares backup elixirs when delivering medicine is no secret, so Ban Yangshu and Wen Zhengxin also desired elixirs.

But given Ji You's backyard situation remained unclear, both hesitated and dared not act rashly.

After much deliberation, they wrote a letter, subtly expressing their desire for elixirs, then entrusted it to a steward academy disciple for delivery.

If successful, it would be ideal; if not, they would feel no regret.

At this moment, the morning meal in the small courtyard had just ended, and Yuan Caimei and Yan Shuyi were drinking tea in the main hall.

The former never explicitly claimed to be stealing a man; the latter stubbornly refused to admit she wished to marry—so their interaction remained like sisters who knew nothing of each other's intentions, utterly plastic.

Yuan Chen was in charge of washing dishes and, incidentally, roasting sweet potatoes for the two sisters—clearly the useful younger brother.

Ji You, by contrast, was far more relaxed, sitting on a small stool, unfolding the letter handed to him by Ban Yangshu.

The Heavenly Dao Assembly occurs every five years; its combat rules require challengers to face opponents of the same realm, making those who have entered the higher realm the most likely to win.

Thus, cultivators intending to participate in the Heavenly Dao Assembly now had a far greater demand for elixirs than ever before.

Ji You now pulled out a stack of silver notes from his robe, counted them slowly, then turned to look at Yuan Caimei and Yuan Chen…

Not long after, Ban Yangshu and Wen Zhengxin each received a red medicine box the size of a fist.

After removing the spiritual seal, a black elixir rested inside, its pattern writhing like a living thing, swirling with mysterious light, faintly echoing celestial melodies, causing surrounding qi to shift and the air to shimmer.

Ban Yangshu held the box, stunned for a long while, suddenly feeling as if in a dream.

"The Qianyuan Elixir has always been priceless—even if available, never for sale. How did I get it so easily? Why do I feel uneasy?"

"Yes, I prepared a hundred taels, but Brother Ji didn't mention payment at all—this makes me feel even more unsettled."

The two exchanged glances, utterly baffled, then took the elixirs straight to Cao Jinsong's courtyard.

Cao Jinsong stared at the boxes in their hands for a long time: "He didn't ask for money?"

Wen Zhengxin nodded: "Master Cao, don't you find this strange?"

Cao Jinsong scratched his head, pondered for a long while, then said: "Since entering the academy, he's been destitute—couldn't even afford meals, let alone elixirs."

"Then shouldn't he have asked us for money?"

"No—my point is he's never bought elixirs before, so he likely doesn't know their true value…"

It was solved. Wen Zhengxin instantly held his breath, thinking: So that's it.

Ban Yangshu stared at the elixir in his hand: "Even if Ji You didn't know, Yuan Caimei certainly would."

Cao Jinsong hissed: "That's true."

Bai Ru, overhearing, couldn't help speaking up: "After reading your letter, Brother Ji expressed a desire—the Lady Yuan naturally handed it over. Why would a lover charge for something her beloved wants? I think it's perfectly normal for Ji You not to know the price. Master Cao, you've never had a consort—you wouldn't understand."

Cao Jinsong froze, thinking: Can this even be linked to me not having a consort?

Ban Yangshu couldn't help biting his lip: "Regardless, I think we still must pay him—more is better than less."

Wen Zhengxin looked at Ban Yangshu: "Why?"

"Ji You will eventually learn how expensive this elixir is. I fear he'll be robbed…"

"That's reasonable."

Bai Ru rubbed his chin, thinking: How unnecessarily complicated.

If Brother Ji wanted to rob you, would he even give you the elixir? Impossible!

If his professional habit kicks in, even stepping through the door with your left foot first becomes grounds for accusation.

But what puzzled him most was this: Ji You's courtyard clearly still housed another woman—why was everything so harmonious?

About this, he was willing to risk being robbed just to learn deeply.

Ban Yangshu and Wen Zhengxin didn't linger long; they returned to the inner courtyard to begin refining their Qianyuan Elixirs.

News of the two each receiving a Qianyuan Elixir spread through the inner courtyard via the steward academy disciple who delivered the letter.

"The Yuan siblings came to Ji You's place for breakfast this morning—we couldn't invite them to dinner."

"Also, the backup Qianyuan Elixirs are probably gone—today, Ji You gave one each to Wen Zhengxin and Ban Yangshu."

The steward academy disciple Wei Han hurried down the mountain to the Hongding Pavilion and delivered the unopened invitation directly to Zhao Yunyue's hands.

Before the princess could speak, Liu Junchi's face turned pale; silently, he walked to the front of the corridor, leaned against the railing, eyes dark.

【Self-staged rumors of becoming a son-in-law of the Alchemy Sect】

【My fellow cultivators sought to befriend Ji You for elixirs—I just smiled and stayed silent】

Yesterday's words now roared like thunder in his ears.

"The Alchemy Sect's elixir transport routes are divided into northern and southern lines—so Yuan Caimei must have at least three backup elixirs of each type."

"That means there should still be one Qianyuan Elixir left?"

"There should still be one…"

"Should we try sending Ji You a letter too? I heard he loves money—slipping in some silver notes might work."

As his mind churned, Liu Junchi heard murmurs behind him and felt a flicker of interest.

Correct—the Nishan Heavenly Book Academy is the final stop on the northern route; logically, there should still be one left.

Liu Junchi turned to Zhao Yunyue: "Sister, could you find someone to write a letter and deliver it to Ji You?"

Zhao Yunyue, still dazed, looked up: "Brother, what did you say?"

"I said, could you find someone to deliver a letter requesting elixirs to Ji You?"

"This…"

Before Zhao Yunyue could respond, another message reached Liu Junchi—this one crushed him again.

Yuan Caimei did indeed have a third Qianyuan Elixir—but just now, a wandering member of the Chen Clan bought it from Ji You for silver.

Opportunities always belong to those who act decisively.

Upon hearing this, the crowd sighed in regret, some cursing themselves for not acting sooner.

Even more striking was Yuan Caimei's attitude toward Ji You: the Alchemy Sect's daughter, a top-tier fifth-rank alchemist, had given him all her backup elixirs—as if she were practically begging to marry him.

This contradicted the earlier assumption that Ji You was desperately trying to climb the Alchemy Sect's ladder.

More terrifying: if one thought carefully, the Alchemy Sect's daughter showed such blatant affection, yet they still hadn't married—was Ji You refusing her?

In the following time, the sale of the last Qianyuan Elixir didn't reduce the number of letters sent to Ji You's courtyard—it increased steadily.

Because besides the Qianyuan Elixir, many other spiritual elixirs were worth purchasing.

Moreover, it had now been proven that silver and gold truly worked with Ji You.

Thus, throughout the entire afternoon, news kept emerging that cultivators had purchased backup elixirs from Ji You.

Changbai Elixir, Dragon-Elephant Elixir, Tianhe Elixir, Biling Elixir…

Inside and outside the Heavenly Book Academy, east and west of Shengjing City, suddenly buzzed with activity.

Even those with no immediate need for elixirs couldn't resist sending letters, hoping for luck.

If they failed to buy, they lost nothing; if they succeeded, they gained immensely.

Even the second shopkeeper of Qionghua Pavilion couldn't resist writing a letter, hoping to become a middleman's middleman.

At this moment, Ji You sat in his courtyard, watching steward academy disciples constantly coming and going, his fingers flicking slightly as he dispatched one elixir after another.

The silver notes delivered into the courtyard kept increasing, piling up on the table…

The inner courtyard disciples had originally held themselves aloof, but as more and more people obtained elixirs through Ji You—even at prices far below expectations—some began to lose their composure.

Some Elders, upon hearing the news, also grew interested.

Because Elders of the Immortal Sects were ranked too—some found it hard to obtain elixirs beyond their rank, while others had no personal need for elixirs but had close nephews or nieces who did, so they asked trusted disciples to write letters.

The evidence proved Ji You indeed had many spiritual elixirs.

Countless disciples obtained elixirs through Ji You, filled with astonishment and joy.

Yet their astonishment and joy didn't prevent them from looking down on Ji You.

In their eyes, Ji You's actions were no different from living off a woman's wealth—merely exploiting a woman's favor, nothing to be proud of.

Liu Junchi failed to obtain the Qianyuan Elixir and settled for a Bore Elixir instead; though less mystical and potent than the Qianyuan Elixir, it was still better than seclusion.

His fellow disciples Yao Chenglin and Peng Peng also purchased the elixirs they needed from Ji You.

Yet what puzzled them was this: Ji You's elixirs were sold at remarkably low prices—some matched the Alchemy Sect's market rate, others were far below it.

The problem is that although Yu Danzong's elixirs have always had a fixed market price, no one has ever actually been able to buy them at that price, due to their scarcity.

Even with connections, one must pay two to three times the market price to obtain them.

"Did you get the elixirs at a discount by leveraging Yuan Caimei's admiration?"

Liu Junchi sneered: "He probably didn't even pay—just asked Yuan Caimei for them outright."

Peng Peng and Yao Chenglin blinked in surprise: "For free? That can't be…"

Liu Junchi turned to them: "Didn't that steward's disciple say just now that he gave two close friends free Qianyuan Elixirs? But everyone in Qingyun knows Ji You is tight with money—he wouldn't have bought them himself to give away."

"This… this is utterly shameless!"

"I suppose Miss Yuan couldn't refuse because she's infatuated with him, but he clearly never considered how she'd explain this to her sect after returning. If it were me…"

If it were me—that wasn't just Liu Junchi's thought; it was the unspoken belief of many who had bought the elixirs.

If the one Miss Yuan favored were me, I'd naturally use my status to request elixirs for myself—but I'd never exploit her affection to amass wealth and trample her sincerity.

He Lingxiu stood outside the main hall of Zizai Hall, where her uncle and several Elders sat drinking tea with two Yu Danzong Elixir Guardians who had come along.

Because Ji You had been selling spirit elixirs inside the Tian Shu Academy today, both Yu Danzong Elders looked displeased.

He Lingxiu glanced toward the small courtyard and murmured softly: "This kind of behavior is truly showing off…"

Zuo Qiuyang walked out of Zizai Hall and looked at his niece: "You mean Ji You?"

"Mm."

"Why think that?"

He Lingxiu lifted her gaze: "He hasn't even established any relationship with the Yu Danzong daughter, yet he's openly selling elixirs by leveraging that connection. It's not technically wrong, but it invites people to look down on him."

Zuo Qiuyang rolled his sleeves behind his back: "When he went to the Snow Region last time, you thought the same thing."

He Lingxiu froze slightly, her brow knitting tighter.

Night had grown thick, and the hazy moonlight slowly enveloped the land.

Yuan Caimei had just finished Ji You's second medical treatment and was leaving his courtyard, heading toward Zizai Hall with her younger brother, Yuan Chen.

Seeing the siblings approaching, He Lingxiu no longer dwelled on her uncle's words—she stepped forward to meet them.

"Miss Yuan, Master Yuan, long time no see."

"He Immortal, good to see you again."

He Lingxiu smiled: "The two Yu Danzong Elders are inside drinking tea—come with me."

"Today's been too busy, I'm tired. We won't drink tea—please forgive us."

Yuan Caimei pulled a thick stack of silver notes from her sleeve: "Please deliver these to my two clan uncles."

He Lingxiu took the notes: "What are these?"

"Money Ji You paid us for the elixirs."

"?"

He Lingxiu took the notes, examined them for a long while, then frowned and fell into thought.

She didn't even notice when the Yuan siblings left—she only realized the total amount exceeded the combined market price of all the elixirs sold.

Several of the notes were large-denomination bills, stamped with the seal of Tian Shu Academy's exclusive bank.

Such large-denomination bills were rare; the very same ones had been given to Ji You when the Steward's Office dispatched him to the Snow Region.

That meant Ji You bought the elixirs from Yuan Caimei at market price—and sold them below it.

In other words, he sold at a loss to gain reputation, subsidizing countless unrelated cultivators.

He Lingxiu didn't understand why Ji You would do this.

Zuo Qiuyang looked at He Lingxiu: "First he secured the Snow Region demon stone transport route from the Yunzhou clans, then loudly proclaimed he could obtain Yu Danzong spirit elixirs directly—he's doing this to impress the cultivators of Fengzhou."

"Fengzhou?"

"Ji You organized joint land reclamation and joint harvests—he wants to use outside Xianzhuang forces to clear vast tracts of Fengzhou land before spring, but those Xianzhuang may not obey him."

"Especially the Xianzhuang lords—they despise taxes and tribute, and won't cooperate. Ji You needs cultivators to participate, so he's put himself in a weak position—he'll eventually have to bow to the Xianzhuang."

"But now he has Snow Region demon stones and Yu Danzong spirit herbs—everything's changed. You think he's doing this for money, but he's always been adding weight to the spring plowing of Fengzhou's people."

Zuo Qiuyang rolled his sleeves behind his back: "The Fengzhou Xianzhuang will soon learn that Ji You can obtain Yu Danzong's finest spirit elixirs."

He Lingxiu lifted her gaze: "Just for farming?"

"No—for every child to grow up, for those who leave home to return safely no matter how late. I always wondered how he'd achieve this—now it doesn't sound like empty words anymore."

"By trading Snow Region demon stones and Yu Danzong spirit herbs, he'll let the outside Xianzhuang grow stronger—even if they're quiet now, it's only temporary. Isn't Ji You afraid of raising a tiger that will turn on him?"

Zuo Qiuyang gazed at the small courtyard in the southwest under the night: "He knows the risk. He may even feel unease—but he chooses to take one step at a time."

In the winter night, Ji You stood in the cold wind, breathing.

Today's treatment corrected his twisted meridians with elixir qi, so it was painful—now, a little cold air helped ease the ache.

Yan Shuyi stood outside the door, watching Ji You: "By trading Snow Region demon stones and Yu Danzong spirit herbs, aren't you afraid of raising a tiger that will turn on you?"

Ji You turned to her: "Chu He and Lu Qingqiu, and now Fang Jincheng, Lu Hanyan, and Puyang Xing—all took countless elixirs and stones."

"?"

"I mean, no matter how fast they cultivated with elixirs and stones, they only reached Chu He's speed—and Chu He was far slower than me."

"The cultivators from Fengzhou's Xianzhuang are all peripheral figures from powerful clans—they've never seen anything good. If they can get elixirs they've never even seen before, why not help Ji You for a while?"

"Once I grow stronger, not just Fengzhou, but everything will be mine—and then spring plowing begins smoothly. They'll work themselves to the bone for the Snow Region demon stones and Yu Danzong spirit herbs, joining in joint reclamation and joint farming."

"When Fengzhou's plows turn the new soil, there will be no more Elder Retreats, no more child-swapping for food, no more corpses littering the land."

"As the outside Xianzhuang slowly grow stronger, they'll eventually turn around—and realize Ji You has grown even stronger."

"Only then will they finally understand: I'm the tiger."

Ji You couldn't help smiling—but the wound on his lip throbbed faintly, making him turn sharply to Yan Shuyi.

The Junior Monitor was staring at him blankly—after a long moment, she noticed his gaze was mischievous, her eyes flickered with caution, and sword qi began to rise silently.

(End of Chapter)